Angle Grinder Safety

[David CambridgeParticipant @davidcambridge45658]

Angle Grinder Safety

[David CambridgeParticipant @davidcambridge45658]

I’ve just bought myself a Bosch 115mm angle grinder – and this tool scares me more than all my other tools put together.

I’ve been watching a few YouTube training videos, but I’m having a hard time working out if I should or shouldn’t be wearing gloves as there seems to be a lot of contrasting opinion. Before I get started, can I seek the benefit of opinion ? My main use of the grinder will be to tidy welds on steel box section.

I’d also be grateful if somebody who is experienced in using an angle grinder can recommend a you tube safety video

Thanks

avid

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Why wouldn't you wear gloves & more importantly safety glasses? I also suggest you keep both hands on the grinder until the wheel stops!

Tony

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

Where possible use it outside, not near cars etc as sparks will bed into paintwork and glass, been there done that, keep flammables etc out of site and dont wear nylon clothes, ruined a good old jumper that way, wear goggles and gloves and after fitting a new wheel start the grinder so that the wheel is in the vertical plain and where possible at arms length, bits of wheel hurt if one lets go.

Let the wheel stop before putting down as they can break or ruin your work, don't buy cheap wheels they don't last long or break easily.

Martin P

[Keith LongParticipant @keithlong89920]

Personally I always wear gloves when operating an angle grinder, the sparks can come towards you and they are hot – I've even managed to set fire to my jeans with one. Ear defenders are pretty essential and the most important thing is eye protection – not just safety glasses, but goggles or a full visor. A dust mask is a very good idea you'll be amazed just how dirty it gets. If you use the grinder eventually with the wire brushes then be aware that the wires break off and FLY and they stick in like needles, so don't try using that set up wearing shorts and sandals!

Don't be afraid of the machine they're nowhere near as bad as they seem at first sight and sound, the one you've got is a baby, I normally use on with a 185mm disc and 1200 watt motor.

The biggest danger is getting anything around caught up in the disc or wire brush so make sure that your working in a clear area, with anything flammable well out of harms way – you'll be fine. Never seen a Youtube video about one, but never gone looking for one as I was using angle grinders long before you tube came along.

Always use the guard and adjust it to give you the maximum protection. If you use the thin cutting discs make sure that neither you or anyone else is in the firing line in case it does break, the bits can fly a long way and I understand that the thin discs can be a bit fragile compared to the normal 5- 6 mm thik cutting discs. The steel grinding discs are meant to be used on their flat face rather than on the periphery, and will be the "dished" pattern rather than a simple disc.

Edited By Keith Long on 15/08/2015 17:05:51

Edited By Keith Long on 15/08/2015 17:06:45

[AjohnwParticipant @ajohnw51620]

I use one for all sorts of things and don't wear gloves as I feel that protective ones would be more of a hindrance than help. The main thing is to keep the guard in the correct place and to realise which way the sparks will fly because that is the way and chips from a broken wheel will fly as well. I've never had a wheel break even on a hefty one Makita designed for fettling castings. Sounds silly but the position of the guard can need a bit of thought before applying them to anything. If you are using a wheel that grinds on the flat side they also pull at little – they are powerful tools.

Eye protection and possible a dust mask are the main things really plus thought about how it will be applied to the work which can mean changing the guard position from time to time.

John

–

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

I have 2 or 3, different sizes, just bought an expensive 4" /100mm one 'cause I was given a big box of discs to suit and I love it. Safety- Don't be afraid of it, keep a tight grip. Big danger is fire, check all round for anything that can burn, including jumpers and overalls. I've never seen a disc break, but know it can happen, eye protection is a must. I don't use gloves, think they cause more trouble than they save. The modern thin cut-off discs are very useful. All things considered maybe the most used tool I have.

[martin perman 1Participant @martinperman1]

I have three, a cheap 4" permanently fitted with a wire brush, a 4" for grinding etc and a 9" for cutting steel box section for when I make my Engine trolleys.

 

 

Edited By martin perman on 15/08/2015 17:42:35

[mechman48Participant @mechman48]

Gloves are not a problem, if you can afford them get the yellow 'American rancher style ' made from thin cowhide but supple enough to give you plenty of sensory feedback, cotton overalls / warehouse coat, full face visor or goggles & face mask, Jeans should be fine, at least they will smoulder & not melt / stick to your skin like man made fibres would.

NB. check your wheel speeds… the grinder spindle speed should NEVER exceed the wheel speed, never try cutting with a grinding disc or vice versa, ( yep, we've all tried it ) the bonding / reinforcement is different for ea. type of application i.e. cutting wheels are only designed for forces applied to the peripheral edge of the disc, not the face etc….  no intention of the 'granny & eggs' scenario guys ….

FYI..some info for all… ref 'Universal grinding data book'

George.

Edited By mechman48 on 15/08/2015 18:09:55

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Goggle, welding gauntlets (to keep sparks out of sleeves), ear defenders are a good idea too.

A couple of valium help too

Neil

[Colin HeseltineParticipant @colinheseltine48622]

If grinding inside workshop ensure that the sparks cannot land in a ball of fine steel wool. The results might surprise you. I turned round to find a nice little fire in an open fronted steel cabinet.

Easily sorted, but just as well that I spotted it.

Reminds me. When I use to do a lot of car repairs, welding new floors in etc., all this was done in the garage attached to my parents house. I would regularly get up at 1 and 2 in the morning to check I did not have any smouldering fires.

Colin

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

I think gloves will not be a problem when grinding but wire brushing is a different proposition, leather gauntlets would be OK but anything that can be grabbed by the brush is dangerous, a leather apron is a good idea, I once stopped a drill mounted brush dead when it grabbed my pullover and wound it tight, grazes the tummy aswell.

Mike

[John BromleyParticipant @johnbromley78794]

I always wear eye protection, goggles really are a minimum when using an angle grinder.

Ear plugs and always a nice addition, angle grinders make a scary amount of noise.

For really light stuff like removing paint in preparation for welding I sometimes forgoe gloves. As has been said above, cup brushes like to grab onto clothing of any sort. I'll take a nasty scrape over a broken rist any day.

For medium duty grinding/cutting, cutting studding down, thin sheet steel, I wear normal riggers gloves.

For heavy stuff, cutting plate and the like, I wear gauntlets.

John

[BazyleParticipant @bazyle]

I do find the design of both my angle grinder to be very poor from the safety point of view and ease of use. Both expect you to grasp the body which is fine if you are built like the Hulk but otherwise a poor grip. And both have awkward switches with no 'deadman' action.

[John BromleyParticipant @johnbromley78794]

I think some time spent with the tool will build confidence and healthy respect.

Can't possibly be as scary as the first time you bolt an irregular lump of stuff to a face plate and nervously start it turning.

John

[Mike PooleParticipant @mikepoole82104]

A firm grip at all times is essential with all power tools, you should be able to hold most power tools if they kick or grab unexpectedly. Loose additional handles are often supplied with power tools and these help maintain a good grip and firm control of the tool when fitted. The tools I have found to be the most scary are electric planes and routers, they are so sharp and fast that any bits of you vanish in a trice never to be found again. Metal working kit seems to be bit more friendly to me, but never underestimate its ability to take a bite out of you. Metal and woodworking machines are untroubled by bits of human offered to them they will remove them with ease. I hope I have the right blend of confidence and respect that has so far kept me intact, just a few knock and cuts when not being as focused as I should be. The last reminder was getting hit on the end of my index finger by a chuck jaw extended beyond the chuck body, they disappear at speed but you can certainly feel them! Still got a numb spot many months after the cut and split nail healed.

Mike

[Nigel McBurney 1Participant @nigelmcburney1]

I have several angle grinders,each has a different wheel ,sanding disc,wire brush etc,saves a lot of time by avoiding continual wheel changes, use a cheap grinder for occasional use,buy a really good grinder if it is to be used for long periods,good grinders have lower vibration spec to prevent vibration problems to your hands(white finger), my best ones are a 4.5 Bosch and a 4.5 Metabo, the real cheapie (£5) gets used for occasional cutting using one mm discs. If sensible precautions are taken,mainly eye protection, they are useful tools,avoid using them in the worship,get in the open away from flammable materials and machine tools,also shut the pets indoors, take some extra care with wire brushes,the wires break and penetrate clothing.Be careful with the big nine inch grinders they can be lethal,particularly if the wheel nips in the work and the grinder tries to jump out,you need to be a strong guy to hold one.I have an old Makita 4 inch adapted to take a 1/4 inch collet chuck from a compressed air grinder,this allows small wire brushes to be used at high speeds. I use my grinders for restoring old stationary engines and fabricating trollies,plus general use.One professional welder fabricator warned me not to leave the blue paper (which comes on rolls)and used for cleaning on the workshop floor,he found it caught fire very easily. After personal injury,fire is the next high risk, its the spark that lands unnoticed on an oily rag and smoulders on after the shop is shut up,thats why I prefer welding outside in the yard,

[Nicholas FarrParticipant @nicholasfarr14254]

Hi David, I personally will not use angle grinders without gloves, I've been using angle grinders of all sizes in my work and at home for over 45 years. The first thing you should do is read and understand all the safety information and the operating instructions that came with the grinder and if need be seek some training from you local college or other training facilities. Yes you should follow all the good advice that has been given so far and I would also say get a full face visor that is suitable for grinding conditions. If you intend grinding for long periods, anti vibration gloves should be worn, plenty of examples in this **LINK**.

Provided you use good quality discs and mount and use them correctly, they will rarely burst, but remember to let the disc do the work, do not try to force the discs by applying heavy pressure on them as this will slow them down and you will end up using more discs to metal cut ratio and as the diameter starts to get noticeable smaller you will need to use a little less pressure or you will find them turning to dust before your very eyes, very rapidly.

Regards Nick.

[John McNamaraParticipant @johnmcnamara74883]

Hi David

Hmm How safe are they? not very!

Gloves (That have a grip surface) A full face mask not goggles and protective clothing all a must. Disks can shatter if the tool is misused. (Or just because they feel like it, buy quality known manufacturer disks) hence the need for full face and body protection.

I have set tough Cotton jeans alight, Oily rags go really well too. Sparks can travel several metres.

Use one on steel near your Car windows or any glass and you will find the particles adhered so strongly that removing them will pull a small chip out of the glass, ruining it permanently. Paint will be damaged too.

I have a 230mm 9" and a 120mm both Bosch The 230mm is a beast. The only time I drag the 9inch out is to cut masonry or large pieces of steel too difficult to manoeuvre in the workshop.

And this is where the risk factor really starts to rise. If the structural steel "nips" the blade jamming it the machine will violently try to rip itself from your grip. Make sure the piece you are cutting cannot close the cutline when almost through. or cut from both sides to reduce the effect the work must properly supported.

Another favourite is the blade catching then releasing throwing the 3000+ RPM disk through your leg or any other part of the body that gets in the way. Do not use one near another person.

Ask anyone who works in the building trade or metalworking industry they all will have a story.

A great tool to have when needed. but a Devil in hiding as well.

Regards
John

 

Edited By John McNamara on 16/08/2015 05:16:31

[I.M. OUTAHEREParticipant @i-m-outahere]

Full face shield, dust mask ,ear muffs / plugs ,leather gloves long sleeves & trousers or overalls and boots .

If you need to grind or cut something that will see sparks flying up over your head a cap on backwards will help keep the sparks off you head and help to stop them going down the back of your neck .

Make sure you know where the sparks are going to go and if possible do it outside the workshop the dust will settle on everything and is no fun to clean up.

The main thing is take your time let the weight of the grinder do the work especially when cutting , you will get the hang of it pretty quickly .

[HopperParticipant @hopper]

And take advantage of the ability of most angle grinders to rotate the guard around to different positions so it keeps sparks from flying in your direction when holding the grinder in different positions.

[Raymond AndersonParticipant @raymondanderson34407]

Being a bricklayer I tend to use them fairly regular [especially if I cant get in with a Stihl saw ] The main thing to be aware of is the fact that they dont have a clutch, and can snatch in a instant if they jam up. Thats not such a problem in the smaller sizes but the 230mm size is a different beast. never let them climb up in a cut or they can kick back in a flash.

I only ever use a pair of goggles and a dust mask. All being said its not "Nitro glycerin " your dealing with

Goggles, mask, Jeans, correct disc for the task, firm hold on the machine, switch on and away you go.

and NEVER LET IT CLIMB / BIND.

[Steve WithnellParticipant @stevewithnell34426]

Useful Note Raymond. Anyone can go buy any power tool these days and use without training or supervision, so it's good to get their little vices (no pun intended) called out. The electric chainsaws are effective tools – but they will kick back too if you don't stay in charge!

Steve

[egaParticipant @ega]

Did anyone mention the very useful diamond cutting discs now available at affordable prices?

I second the comments about white finger, use anti-vibration gloves and try to avoid grinding for more than a few minutes at a time.

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

I have a small dremel 'angle grinder' (they call it a drill). It runs vastly smoother than an ordinary angle grinder and take quite small discs, but it is a godsend for things like hacking through rusty exhaust bolts in small spaces.

http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Tools/Pages/

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